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Athens man charged for bicycle theft

Earnest Lee Short, 39, of Gaines School Road was arrested Thursday morning when found with a stolen bicycle valued at $3,000, Athens-Clarke County police said.

Police said they were contacted by the owner of Sunshine Cycles who sold the bike to a customer who subsequently reported it stolen. The mountain bike was said by the shop owner to be unique and that he had only sold one like it, according to police.

When police found Short, he was pushing the bicycle on Baxter Street. He reportedly claimed that he bought the bike from someone earlier in the day, but a police officer recalled seeing him with the bike the day before.

Police said when they contacted the owner of the bicycle, they were unable to obtain a serial number, but among other identifiers, the owner said the bicycle had blue after-market pedals, just like the ones on the cycle Short had.